The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries

This paper introduces the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Drones (EVRPD), the first VRP combining electric ground vehicles (EVs) with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, in order to deliver packages to customers. The problem’s objective is to minimize the total energy consum...

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Main Authors: Nikolaos A. Kyriakakis, Themistoklis Stamadianos, Magdalene Marinaki, Yannis Marinakis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-07-01
Series:Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772390922000142
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author Nikolaos A. Kyriakakis
Themistoklis Stamadianos
Magdalene Marinaki
Yannis Marinakis
author_facet Nikolaos A. Kyriakakis
Themistoklis Stamadianos
Magdalene Marinaki
Yannis Marinakis
author_sort Nikolaos A. Kyriakakis
collection DOAJ
description This paper introduces the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Drones (EVRPD), the first VRP combining electric ground vehicles (EVs) with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, in order to deliver packages to customers. The problem’s objective is to minimize the total energy consumption, focusing on the main non-constant and controllable factor of energy consumption on a delivery vehicle, the payload weight. The problem considers same-sized packages, belonging to different weight classes. EVs serve as motherships, from which drones are deployed to deliver the packages. Drones can carry multiple packages, up to a certain weight limit and their range is depended on their payload weight. For solving the EVRPD, four algorithms of the Ant Colony Optimization framework are implemented, two versions of the Ant Colony System and the Min–Max Ant System. A Variable Neighborhood Descent algorithm is utilized in all variants as a local search procedure. Instances for the EVRPD are created based on the two-echelon VRP literature and are used to test the proposed algorithms. Their computational results are compared and discussed. Practical, real-life scenarios of the EVRPD application are also presented and solved.
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series Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain
spelling doaj-art-c2e37a059a804992bd51ed98a686cce32024-11-23T06:31:49ZengElsevierCleaner Logistics and Supply Chain2772-39092022-07-014100041The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveriesNikolaos A. Kyriakakis0Themistoklis Stamadianos1Magdalene Marinaki2Yannis Marinakis3Technical University of Crete, School of Production Engineering and Management, University Campus, 73100 Chania, GreeceTechnical University of Crete, School of Production Engineering and Management, University Campus, 73100 Chania, GreeceTechnical University of Crete, School of Production Engineering and Management, University Campus, 73100 Chania, GreeceCorresponding author.; Technical University of Crete, School of Production Engineering and Management, University Campus, 73100 Chania, GreeceThis paper introduces the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Drones (EVRPD), the first VRP combining electric ground vehicles (EVs) with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, in order to deliver packages to customers. The problem’s objective is to minimize the total energy consumption, focusing on the main non-constant and controllable factor of energy consumption on a delivery vehicle, the payload weight. The problem considers same-sized packages, belonging to different weight classes. EVs serve as motherships, from which drones are deployed to deliver the packages. Drones can carry multiple packages, up to a certain weight limit and their range is depended on their payload weight. For solving the EVRPD, four algorithms of the Ant Colony Optimization framework are implemented, two versions of the Ant Colony System and the Min–Max Ant System. A Variable Neighborhood Descent algorithm is utilized in all variants as a local search procedure. Instances for the EVRPD are created based on the two-echelon VRP literature and are used to test the proposed algorithms. Their computational results are compared and discussed. Practical, real-life scenarios of the EVRPD application are also presented and solved.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772390922000142DronesElectric vehicleUnmanned aerial vehicle routingAnt colony optimization
spellingShingle Nikolaos A. Kyriakakis
Themistoklis Stamadianos
Magdalene Marinaki
Yannis Marinakis
The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries
Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain
Drones
Electric vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle routing
Ant colony optimization
title The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries
title_full The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries
title_fullStr The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries
title_full_unstemmed The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries
title_short The electric vehicle routing problem with drones: An energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries
title_sort electric vehicle routing problem with drones an energy minimization approach for aerial deliveries
topic Drones
Electric vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle routing
Ant colony optimization
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772390922000142
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